Tender Shadows
by Musical Proze
Summary: This is a story that begins just before "Order 66" and is told from the point of view of two original characters... a young senator, newly widowed, and her dear friend, a Jedi Master. Slightly AU.
1. Chapter 1

_**Prologue:**_

When I first met my husband, I was a flighty girl with no true direction. With both Corellian and Twi'lek blood running through my veins, I was a natural flirt. I had dreams of becoming a singer or a dancer, or perhaps both. I also dreamed of helping many people, though I was not clear on how I would do that. I thought perhaps through song I could give people some measure of joy and perhaps give them something positive to think about.

That all changed when I became an exchange student.

Master Tobias McCal helped me find my self. He guided me and let me find a true direction… a path to follow that would help me help others. I guess it is hard not to make a great impact on someone who has a huge crush on you, as I did on him. Even then, I knew it was a crush and not true love.

Awin was the one to win my heart. Sweet, calm, strong, honorable and brave, Awin was my rock. If Tobias was the one to set me on the path, it was Awin who kept me there. He picked me up when I stumbled, and loved me unconditionally.

That all changed as the shadow of war claimed his soul and took him from my arms forever.

Change.

It can be good. It can be bad. It can be expected or come as a thief in the night.

Invited or not, it always comes.

I'm sure there will be _many_ changes before I am able to be with my Awin.

_From the journal of Senator Koria Rimstar-Cor, 19 BBY_

**Chapter 1: Reunion**

"Koria, may I speak with you a moment?" Senator Amidala quickened her step to catch up to the Corellian Senator.

Koria Rimstar-Cor slowed her pace and looked solemnly at Padme, trying to smile, but found herself too weary to do so.

The senator from Naboo spoke quietly, "Are you alright? You look so tired."

Koria looked away from her friend. She spoke barely above a whisper. "This is for your ears only. I don't want anyone else to know yet."

Dread showed on Senator Amidala's face. "What is it?"

"I'm pregnant."

The announcement was delivered sotto voce, and Padme suddenly stopped in her tracks to look at Koria.

The Corellian senator stopped as well, and she could not help but notice that Padme put a hand to her own stomach. i Interesting/i she thought even as she kept her expression neutral. She was known as "Sabacc Face" in the press because her countenance remained neutral no matter who was speaking in the Senate or what was being said. When she spoke, however, her features were quite animated.

The gesture was only a brief one, and Padme reached out to touch Koria's elbow. "How far along?" The question was delivered in a soft whisper.

"Eight weeks." Koria looked away from her friend. _I will not cry!_ She struggled to keep that promise to herself as she thought of Awin. He had been so happy when he found out she was pregnant. She wished she could have told him in person, with him here on Corruscant, but he had been on assignment as a war correspondent. As they spoke on the comm, there was a sudden explosion, and the signal was lost. She found out hours later that he was killed in the blast.

"I'm so sorry, Kor."

As she continued to struggle with her emotions and think up something to say, she caught sight of someone coming into the building. No surprise showed on the young senator's face when she saw the familiar figure from her past show up in the hallways of the senate building. Neither did she allow the warm feelings that accompanied the sight of the man that had the most influence on her outside of her parents and husband to appear in her bearing. A smile played upon her lips as he approached her. "Hello, Master McCal."

The Jedi approached the two women, bowing respectfully to both. "Good morning, Senator Amidala," he said, and as he turned to the woman who had greeted him, his face broke into a sincere smile. Taking her hand, he gave it a gentle squeeze, searching her jade eyes almost as if he were trying to discern how much she'd changed since they'd spoken last. "Koria - or I should say, Senator Rimstar-Cor - it has been too long. I hope the Senate hasn't tried to consume your life as it seems too many of the people here these days," he added, a quick wink serving to include himself in that group.

"The Senate is a voracious beast..." Koria's voice started out light, but an edge of bitterness and not a small amount of anger crept in as she continued, "... as is this kriffin' war." She took a deep breath as she tried to contain the flood of emotions that welled up inside her. She knew she was failing miserably to block even as she was able to school her features into a calm expression. _Damned hormones!_

As Padme reached out to place a comforting hand on her shoulder, Koria asked, "I take it by your statement, you are the new Jedi liaison?" The previous one had been 'dismissed' by Palpatine on the grounds he was too invasive. Koria suspected it was because the Jedi in question refused to be manipulated by the chancellor.

Tobias glanced at Koria with concern before addressing both of the Senators. "That is correct. I was encouraged to leave my semi-retirement after resigning from the Council to take this position. It is hoped that my experience under both Chancellors Kalpana and Valorum might help to ease the tension between the Jedi Council and the Senate and her committees."

"Ah, Master McCal!" As Tobias finished speaking, Supreme Chancellor Palpatine joined the small knot of people standing in the hallway. As usual, his aide Sate Pestage was lingering just beyond, close enough to respond if he was needed but for appearances, far enough away to be out of earshot. The Jedi turned, noticing a ripple through the Force as he did so, rendering Koria all but indistinct within it.

"Chancellor," Tobias replied, giving him the same respectful bow he'd given the two senators. "I'm glad to see you again. It's oddly comforting to be back in the galaxy's government after being so long away."

The moment the supreme chancellor walked up to them, Koria managed to raise her shields very quickly, like blast doors slamming shut. She distrusted the chancellor and took a strong dislike to him as well. The young senator found him to be patronizing, manipulative, and a power-hungry warmonger. The fact that he had a charismatic personality to boot made it worse. She was tired and nauseous, and needed to go to the refresher. However, if she turned and left without the supreme chancellor acknowledging her, it would be all over the press that she slighted him. That was the last thing she needed, so she stood patiently with an attentive expression upon her face.

"It is good to see you as well. I am sure with a jedi diplomat of your stature, the friction between the Council and the Senate will be smoothed away in no time." Supreme Chancellor smiled assuredly.

The corner of Tobias's mouth inched upward, although there was no other indication of his amusement in his expression. "That is certainly the hope."

The two senators exchanged brief glances at that exchange, with Koria rolling her eyes and only a minute quirk on one corner of Padme's mouth showing amusement. The slightly older senator knew the hostility her Corellian counterpart held towards the supreme chancellor.

When Supreme Chancellor Palpatine turned to Koria, he reached out a hand, and she politely took it. Coldness ran through her as he placed his other hand on top hers as though a dark spirit was trying to engulf her in its grasp. "Again, I must apologize for your loss, dear. I admire how you carry on with your duties in your grief. You are very brave."

_Apologies won't bring Awin back, you bastard!_ She bowed her head slightly as a show of respect, her features remaining stoic. "You are too kind. I fear bravery has little to do with it. Sitting at home allows the ghost of my husband to haunt me in my idleness, while here I can do something worthwhile to give his death meaning."

Patting Koria's hand before releasing her, he turned to Padme. "Senator Amidala, it's always a pleasure. I hope you found hope in the safe return of your friends Master Kenobi and Knight Skywalker, as I did. I'm hoping they will be allowed to remain in the Core for a while yet," he finished with a questioning glance towards Tobias.

"I can't speak to Council's decisions on the assignments of other Jedi, even if I were aware of them," the Jedi Master said stiffly, a small frown on his face. He found no use letting on to the fact he was in the council chamber being informed of his re-assignment as liaison when the chancellor's hologram informed the council he wanted Anakin as his representative on their board.

"In any case, it's good to know that they were able to save the day," Padme intervened smoothly, trying to lead the conversation away from that rocky ground. "Losing you to the Separatists' grasp would have been quite discouraging."

With a smile and a small bow to each of them, the Supreme Chancellor excused himself and walked away. Once he'd disappeared in the crowd of beings ambling down the hallway, Koria murmured, "After his majesty leaves, his subjects stand in awe as they reflect he found them worthy to speak to."

Padme smiled, fighting the urge to laugh. The Jedi Master raised an eyebrow, glancing curiously between the two women.

Koria reached out and squeezed Tobias' arm. "It is so good to see you once more. We must have dinner sometime to catch up. Excuse me, please, I must go powder my nose." With that, she walked in a dignified yet swift manner to the nearest refresher.

Padme tilted her head in curiosity as she peered at Tobias. "So, how do you know Koria?"

The Jedi looked away from Koria's receding figure to the Naboo senator. "She was involved in an exchange program hosted by the Jedi Temple about six years ago. One of Master Yoda's pet projects. Koria was my student while she lived in the Temple. We kept in touch for a while after she returned to Corellia but fell out of contact between my resigning from the Council and her going to university." He glanced back towards where the Corellian senator had disappeared. "I'm glad that things seemed to have been going well, at least up until recently," he added softly.

"Well, she needs all the support she can get right now. She loved Awin so much... I can only imagine the pain she is going through." Without realizing it, Padme placed her hand on her stomach again as she thought of how she had thought Anakin was killed in the outer-rim sieges. Pressure on her bladder made the senator squirm slightly. "Excuse, my nose needs some touching up as well." She curtsied quickly before following Koria's path to the refresher.

Standing alone, Tobias thought back over the entrance of the Chancellor, coupled with Koria's shields slamming up. While he was no fan of the other man's style and policies, as well as his ability to retain office, Tobias was willing to bet that it wasn't just for those reasons that Koria deeply disliked Palpatine. He hoped that the young woman had truly wanted to catch up; he was concerned for her. Even insulated within the Temple, the Jedi Master had seen the reports on Awin's death, the HoloNet turning the unfortunate situation into a credit-making scheme, capitalizing on the story of two young lovers, one a Senator from Corellia and the other a hotshot journalist, and the tragedy the war had dealt them.

He was glad that the media was unaware of her pregnancy, despite the fact it was only a matter of time before someone broke the news. Tobias shook his head sadly, turning to go to his first meeting of the day. "First day back," he said quietly to himself, "and already waist-deep in intrigue." With a sigh, he added the thought, _I'm getting too old for this_.


	2. Snapshots

**Chapter 2**: **Snapshots**

Koria entered her apartment in 500 Republica. She hung her cloak on a hook by the door and went to sit on the plush couch, leaning her head back and closing her eyes briefly. Sighing she forced her heavy eyelids open before she drifted off to sleep and looked at the blinking display of her comm system. "Hmph, only twenty messages today," she muttered. She considered ignoring the recorded memos. i Surely nothing galaxy shattering happened in the 10 minutes I travelled from the Senate building to here./i She sighed again as she disregarded her weariness and pressed the button.

_"This is a courtesy call to inform you that the warranty on your vehicle may have or is about to…"_

She hit the delete button and the next message began to play.

_"Hello, this is Tarinka Jans calling from Surveys Are Us…"_

Delete, next message.

_… click…_

Delete.

_… click…_

"Why can't they hang up before the beep?"

Several more sales and hang-up calls were deleted similarly as Koria all but began to tune out the actual messages. She almost automatically hit the delete button on the last call when she heard a pleasant baritone voice.

_"Hello, Koria. It's me pause Tobias. I didn't get a chance to catch you before you left, but I was wondering if you felt up to having a catch-up dinner pause with me. I understand if you aren't, but if you are, give me a call. pause Ah, in case you no longer have my comm number, it's 713230987860610. pause Well, in any case, it was nice to see you again. pause click"_

Koria could not help but smile as she listened to the hesitant voice of the jedi master. "So even the jedi hate answering machines." She giggled, and marveled at the fact that just the voice of her old mentor made her feel like the teenager she was when she first met him. She picked up the handset of her comm and pushed two buttons. After all these years, she still had his number on speed dial.

The comm chirped in her ear, and Koria was just about to give up when it clicked over. "McCal here," the soft baritone words eased out of the handset. Koria could just see him standing in the apartment where she had stayed when he'd been there, gazing out over the balcony to the Coruscanti sunset beyond and his comm held in his hand, just under his chin, with his arms crossed over his chest.

"Master McCal... Tobias..." saying his first name felt unnatural to her. "...I got your message, and," Koria hesitated as she bit her bottom lip and a shyness suddenly washed over her. "And I would love to have dinner with you - to catch up. It really has been too long." Her nervousness grew with the silence on the other end. She broke the silence by calling him what she felt comfortable with, "Master McCal?"

"I'm sorry, I was just wondering where we should meet. What are you in the mood for?"

_A nap in Awin's arms._ "Um... nothing fancy... how about Dex's?"

She could hear the smile in his voice as he responded, "Dex's is a favorite of mine. How does 1900 sound?"

Koria smiled back at the handset, glad that she would have enough time to rest before dinner. "That would be great. I'll see you then, sir."

Making her way into her bedroom, she set her alarm to go off in a half hour in case she dozed off. She lay on her side and gazed at the holo of Awin. "I miss you so much," she whispered as her eyelids drifted closed.

Koria woke with a sudden jolt and sat up. She had been dreaming, but could not remember what the dream was about as she looked at the chrono. "Stang! I forgot to turn the kriffin' thing on!"

She had twenty-four minutes to shower, dress, and make it to Dex's. She spent five minutes in the shower, and skipped blow-drying her hair, deciding to pull it back in a simple tail instead. She frantically rummaged through the closet and cursed herself for not having anything between ultra casual wear to the formal senatorial garb.

Then she saw it, and a wide smile brightened her features.

Tobias waited patiently outside the restaurant, making a point not to smooth his robe out or adjust his obi. He had arrived a few minutes early and was marginally surprised to find he was a little nervous about having dinner with his former exchange student. When they had run into one another at the Senate Building, he had been very pleased, although not surprised, at the young woman Koria had grown into. He had felt a flush of pride and no small amount of affection for all she had accomplished in the few years since the exchange program.

Arriving ten minutes late, she stood breathless in front of Tobias feeling almost as nervous as she did the time Knight Kenobi had caught her and Anakin almost kissing and brought her back to the master's apartment in the wee hours of the morning. "I'm sorry I'm late. I um... was um... delayed." She blushed as she realized she was in the same pose she had been in outside Tobias' door all those years ago - one arm behind her back with the hand grasping the other arm, and scuffing the toe of her boot against the ground.

Tobias had to pause for a moment to reorient himself. At the Senate, she had been coolly collected and wholly formal. However, the person standing before him now was the exchange student from six years ago - right down the green tunic he himself had picked out for her and golden pants. Realizing he hadn't responded, Tobias waved away the apology. "Think nothing of it," he said with a smile.

He led her into the diner, his light touch at the small of her back directing her to the only empty booth in one of the corners, somewhat out of the way of both the windows lining the front of the diner and the clientele bustling in and out of the front door. They both settled into the comfortable seats, opposite one another, letting the clatter of dishes and the hum of conversation in the busy restaurant wash over them for a moment.

_What is wrong with me? I'm acting like the flighty girl I was when we met! He's going to wonder how I became senator with this behavior. It's got to be the hormones._ _Speaking of hormones_, as she looked at the menu, she wondered what she would be able to hold down. She did not want Master McCal to suspect anything was wrong, let alone that she was pregnant. She glanced up to study him. "So... how have you been?"

"I've been doing well. I have to admit, I was surprised to be reassigned back to the Senate... although I think I'll enjoy being back in the mix of things. Being a Council member, while interesting and helpful, wasn't exactly the best place for me, I believe." He paused, studying Koria as she glanced through the menu. "And how have you been?" he asked, his blue eyes fixed on hers.

Koria's jade eyes locked on his, and he could see the pain she would not allow to show on her features. Swallowing, the young senator closed her eyes. "I..." she found she could not speak, so instead lowered her shields for him.

The jedi master could sense her deep sorrow over the loss of her dear husband, which did not surprise him in the least. He felt her anxiety over bringing a child... alone... into a chaotic world where she felt was being plunged into an age of darkness like unto which had not been seen in thousands of years. Likewise, he saw a determination to keep that from happening, yet a fading hope that she... along with some friends... would be successful.

"Koria," he whispered as he reached out and took her hand.

Meanwhile, a man at a table who appeared to be minding his own business and writing in his datapad was instead surreptitiously snapping holopics of the exchange between the young senator and the aged jedi master.

Koria's eyelids fluttered open as she looked back into his. "Thank you." She felt tears form, and she fought to keep them from falling. i I will not cry! I won't make a scene./i In spite of her determination not to cry, the tears flowed down her cheeks. "Excuse me, please!" She quickly rose from the table and rushed to the refresher.

Tobias let her go, and while he watched in concern as she disappeared through the refresher room door, he caught sight of something suspicious. A young man holding what appeared to be a datapad, but as Koria moved, he moved the datapad accordingly.

He surreptitiously continued watching the photographer as he casually rose from the table and snuck up behind him. "You do i not/i wish to hand in those holos."

The young man almost dropped the datapad as he jumped slightly. Looking up at the jedi, he nodded. "Yes I do."

"No you don't."

The young man stood, looking the jedi master defiantly in the eyes. "i Yes, I do!/i Look, I feel for the senator, but I need the credits to feed me and my brother and sister."

"How much do you think you'll get for those holo-pics?"

"If I'm lucky, a thousand credits."

Tobias raised an eyebrow.

"Probably about two-hundred-fifty." The man said in resignation, his shoulders slumping.

"If you delete those pictures right now, I will get i two/i-thousand credits to you by the end of tomorrow." Then he raised a finger in admonishment. "_But_ you must never take any more pictures of Senator Rimstar-Cor nor myself in the future."

The photographer narrowed his eyes as he considered the deal, and Tobias waited calmly for the decision. He had no idea what he would do if the young man refused the offer. Sighing, the man said, "I'll delete half the pictures now, and the rest when I receive the credits."

Tobias carefully studied the young man, and could not discern anything false in the man's bearing. He nodded, "Fine."

The photographer held the screen so the jedi could see that he did indeed erase half the pictures. After giving Tobias his bank account number so he could wire the credits directly there, the young man left.

Tobias sighed wearily, then turned to see Koria gazing at him from the booth. He smiled slightly as he went to sit across from her once more. "Are you ok?"

Koria nodded. "What was that about?"

"Hm? Oh yeah, that was nothing to worry about." He preferred not to tell her what it was about because he was sure it would upset her.

The young senator raised an eyebrow in an expression Tobias was sure she learned from him. He shook his head, well aware he was only increasing Koria's curiosity. "We just needed to have a small talk about," Tobias hunted for a good word as Koria's expression shifted from curious to piqued, "propriety and respect."

"Respect regarding...?"

Tobias marveled as the woman before him transformed into the persona that had gained her such success in the Senate. He could tell she was not to be placated by his verbal dancing. With a rueful grin, he raised his hands in surrender. "I forget you're not my student to defend anymore," he said quietly. "He was taking our picture to sell. I simply made him a better offer."

"Why do I have a bad feeling about this?" Her tone was weary. Tobias could sense how tense she was, and he looked at her with concern.

"Koria, he was just a photographer trying to make ends meet. There was neither malice nor duplicity about him." He assured her.

Far from being placated, Koria took a deep breath to calm her growing annoyance. "What or how much did you offer him?"

"Koria, it doesn't matter. Trust me."

"How much?"

The flash of anger in her eyes was nothing to the spike he sensed in the force. "Two-thousand credits, why, what's wrong?"

"Did he delete all the pictures?"

"Um... well..."

Koria threw up her hands as she slumped against the back of the booth, shaking her head. "Great!"

"Koria, calm down." He tried to project a sense of calm, but was met by a wave of anger. "He'll delete the rest when I get the credits to him!"

"And just how are you going to get two-thousand credits?" She raised her eyebrow once more.

"I'm sure if I explain it to the council..."

"And what if something happens between now and then where he feels compelled to sell those holo-pics in spite of the deal he made with you in good faith?"

Tobias pursed his lips. He knew she had a point. Just because the man was honest at the time he made the deal did not mean he would not reconsider later. "Koria, sometimes you just have to trust the force."

"Just trust the force." She harrumphed bitterly. "Easy for you to say living in your ivory tower, cut off from the real world." Koria's eyes went wide as she put her hands to her mouth, horrified at what she had just said. She briefly saw the hurt in Tobias' eyes, and she reached out to take his hand. "I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"

Tears filled her eyes. There was no excuse for what she had said. She knew he had lost friends, fellow jedi, because of the war.

Tobias sat very still, staring at a point on the table in between his free hand, leaning on the edge, and his outstretched arm, hand still held between Koria's. In his mind, he saw fellow Jedi - friends - who had been consumed by the war, dead or worse. How many holographs had he seen, Jedi Knights leading clone troopers, who would be gone in hours after signing off? What of the empty halls, once filled with Padawans and Knights and initiates, all joyfully learning to embrace the Force? Now three in four of the quarters were empty, their occupants shipped out to the farthest reaches of the Galaxy, many never to return. None of this showed on his face, and it would have taken a fellow Jedi Master to intrude upon his shields.

"I have a few favors I can call upon," Tobias finally said softly, after long consideration. One didn't spend as much time at the Senate as he had without earning the goodwill of well placed Senators, Jedi or no. He glanced up at Koria, not wanting to address what she'd just said.

She did not need to be able to sense his feelings or read his face to know the pain her words had caused. It hurt her to know she had so shamefully lashed out at him when he meant so much to her. She was encouraged by the fact he did not pull his hand away from hers.

"A-and you'll still have those favors... I have the credits." Her apartment was paid for by the government of Corellia, and she never was extravagant with her money, so she had plenty in the bank.

"Koria, I can't ask you too do this."

"You aren't asking me to, I'm giving it... what you did was to protect me, it's the least I can do." She squeezed his hand as she addressed what she felt was more important. "Master McCal, please forgive me! I... I had no right to say what I did. I know the sacrifices the jedi have made in this war... so many have died... I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to hurt you." She bit her bottom lip as it started quivering. One tear eased over her eyelashes, leaving a track down her face.

Gently, he reached over and brushed away the tear, cupping her cheek for the briefest of moments before pulling away. "Forgiven, Koria. Always, once I manage to let go of my wounded pride. I think this war has cost us all more than we were willing to give up." He squeezed her hand in return.

Giving him a shaky smile, she whispered, "I love you, you know." It was the love one had for the closest of friends.

Tobias's eyes twinkled in response, and Koria could see he knew what she was trying to say. "I know. I love you too." He applied a little more pressure to her hand before letting go. "Why don't we go somewhere else? We could get some food from a vender and go walk around one of the indoor parks nearby. The fresh air - well, what passes for fresh air here - might be nice after being in here," he finished almost shyly.

His mention of the indoor parks made her miss the fields of Corellia. "That would be nice," she responded as she rose once more from the booth. "There's a singing vendor named Vincio who sells the best kabobs right down the street near Compton Park."

Tobias' mouth hung open in a comical expression. "I know which one you're talking about, and I wondered how he knew that song you and Jecca made up." He shook an admonishing finger as she started giggling.

He shook his head and chuckled as they left the diner.


	3. Dancing With the Devil

Chapter 3: Dancing With the Devil

**Chapter 3: Dancing With the Devil**

Tobias perched on the arm of one of the chairs in the Supreme Chancellor's office, not wanting to either fully sit or stand. Palpatine stood in the large window spanning the far wall of his office, looking out at the traffic crisscrossing the sky as the sun began its mid-afternoon descent towards the horizon that could not be seen for the buildings. The Jedi Master resisted the urge to show his impatience; it seemed that every time he was summoned before the Chancellor, much of the time was spent watching the other man contemplate his capital, as though he was afraid he would be snatched from it again as he had been before.

"Master McCal, I can't help but feel as though your Council has been dragging its feet on locating General Grievous. I realize that Master Kenobi," the Chancellor stopped, half-turned to give Tobias a faint smile, and Tobias could tell he was very pleased that it was his office's information that had prevailed in that case, "has been sent to Utapau to apprehend the General. Yet, it seems like we should have heard back from him by now."

With a sigh, Tobias stood, walking up the steps to be on the same level as the Chancellor. He knew that much of this was a show of power; ever since he'd resumed the office of Jedi Liaison to the Senate, he'd discovered that it had mostly become a power struggle between the Jedi and the Chancellor himself. Most of the Senate meetings he attended were little more than his giving a brief summary of Jedi actions that weren't classified, the Senators nodding and asking a few questions, and then his being dismissed. "Chancellor Palpatine," he began respectfully, making a point to pitch his speech below the other man's indignant tone, "as I have said before, I'm not privy to the Council's discussions. I realize that I once sat on the board, but I do so no longer. Moreover, even if I were still on the board, that doesn't permit me to discuss Jedi matters outside of the Temple."

The Chancellor turned back to study the scene beyond the window, and Tobias could practically hear him plotting out his next move. "The Senate has given me authority over the Jedi Council..."

Tobias sighed, not hesitating to interrupt this line of thought; it was a dance they had gone through so many times it felt as though Tobias had been back at the Senate far longer than the past few days. "I understand that, Chancellor. If you truly feel this way, you should take it up with the Council itself. Or, better yet, speak to them through Anakin -- he is your representative on the Council."

"They have been less than receptive. I was hoping you could help me rectify the situation."

Resisting the urge to snort at the Chancellor's statement, Tobias simply shook his head. "I'm sorry, Chancellor. The Council is unlikely to take my opinion on the subject, even if I were willing to act in that manner. You should continue pursuing the avenues already available to you." Don't drag me into this!

"I understand," Palpatine replied stiffly, not turning around.

Tobias shook his head in exasperation. Politicians are like small children, he couldn't help thinking. You don't give them what they want - regardless of what is best for them - and they sulk and shut down. "I did have one other request. I know that your office drew up a summary of the Jedi contributions thus far in the war. I was wondering if I could obtain a copy. I know that many of the committees will wonder what exactly was in the document."

Palpatine waved his hand vaguely, and Tobias knew that this was a subtle revenge for his defiance moments before. "Anakin currently has it. I can ask one of my assistants to draw it up again for you if you would prefer."

The Jedi Master crossed his arms over his chest, hiding his arms inside his sleeves. It would take a couple of days for Palpatine to get the information to his assistant, and probably at least a couple more for the assistant to find the document. Then it would take maybe two more to get it to the Jedi Master. If this government were any more unwieldy, I would assume it had been modeled after the ideal Hutt lifestyle. "That won't be necessary, Chancellor. I'll just obtain it from Anakin."

"Very good," the precise voice said, reflected off the transparisteel window. Tobias knew from the tone the dismissal was coming even before the other man said anything. "Well, I appreciate the discussion, Master McCal. I always enjoy our meetings."

The Chancellor half-turned, reaching out for the customary handshake that ended all of their conversations. "Of course, Chancellor," Tobias replied, not unhappy at being released from the Chancellor's presence. It had become an exercise in controlling irritation and annoyance.

Once outside the Chancellor's office, Tobias discovered Anakin hovering in the antechamber, moving restlessly from one piece of art to the next, never staying to observe one more than a few heartbeats. Tobias smiled to see the young Knight; although he didn't know Anakin well, he'd always thought highly of him, despite some of the other man's failings. It couldn't have been easy to be brought to the Temple at the age of nine, and Tobias knew that he'd always felt apart because of it.

"Anakin! I was hoping to see you. I had a favor to ask..."

The blond man jerked, clearly suddenly becoming aware of Tobias's presence. He turned, looking Tobias over with a darting glance. "A favor, Master? I'm not sure I'm really in a position..."

Tobias shook his head with a smile. "No, Anakin, you're the only one who will do. The Chancellor had some reports drawn up, and I was wondering..."

"If I'd tell you what I'd seen? If he'd shown them to me?" Anakin's face darkened, his cheeks becoming a deep red. "You know, I'm not surprised about the Council, really. I know that most of them don't like me - don't even trust me!" He crossed the room, standing right in front of Tobias with his blue eyes flashing in white-hot anger. The Jedi Master could feel the emotion rolling off him, hardly dampened by both men's shielding. "I thought you weren't like them. I thought you had integrity! I thought that some people wouldn't try to use me - use my position!" Anakin ended in a furious shout.

At that moment, the secretary poked her head around the door, appearing as though she hadn't heard the men's discussion. "The Chancellor will see you now, Knight Skywalker," she said politely, looking from Anakin to Tobias.

Anakin had glanced away to look at the secretary, but Tobias saw that, if anything, he was even more enraged when he turned back. "I trusted you," he said in a hoarse, smoldering voice. With that, he turned on his heel and disappeared into the Chancellor's office.

Tobias watched him go, shocked into silence and immobility. After a moment, he came out of his daze, still unable to reconcile what had just taken place. Clearly, the Council had assigned Anakin to something more than his position as the voice of the Chancellor.

Deeply disturbed, Tobias headed towards his office. He still had some work to finish up for the evening, but he also knew he needed to meditate and find some understanding in Anakin's outburst.

While Koria stared at the door as the lift took her to the Supreme Chancellor's level, she wondered why he had summoned her to his office. She had a bad feeling about this, and worked to build her shields about her. As the lift slowed to a stop, she took several slow, deep breaths before the door opened to reveal Anakin Skywalker.

"Anakin," Koria exclaimed. She had not seen him since the last day of the exchange program, six years previously. His dark expression gave her pause. "Are you ok?"

The knight frowned before he realized who was standing before him. "Koria, what are you doing here?" Of course, he had heard that she had become a senator, but seeing her here, right now, seemed out of place. He took her elbow when she told him Chancellor Palpatine had summoned her. "Be careful, Kor."

Before she could ask what he meant, the chancellor appeared in the doorway to his office suite. Anakin's lips pursed as he looked briefly at the older man then looked intensely in Koria's eyes. "Things aren't as they seem." He spoke cryptically before disappearing into the lift.

As she stood frowning at the lift door, Chancellor Palpatine walked over and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Thank you for coming, Senator. I trust you are feeling well?"

As always, Koria felt a chill run through her at his touch, but she schooled her features to remain neutral. "I am fine." She looked pointedly at the lift. "Is everything all right?"

He waved off her concern as he guided her into his office. "However, I have heard rumors that you have been ill. A few of the female staff have spotted you vomiting in the refresher."

Smiling slightly, she waved off his concern in the manner he did hers. "It is nothing that cannot be handled, there's no need for you to worry."

"Are you mocking me?"

"Never, Supreme Chancellor, I'm merely keeping my personal situation private."

He looked at her as an idea suddenly occurred to him. "My dear senator, you're pregnant, aren't you?"

Koria doubted his surprise was genuine. She had a strong feeling that he already knew the truth of the matter. She bowed her head with a slight smile. "Nothing escapes you, does it?"

He chuckled. "Not if I can help it." Then his expression turned grave. "This news only gives me more concern and makes my purpose for asking you here all the more vital."

The young senator watched as the chancellor walked around to sit at his desk as he continued speaking. "I have come across some disturbing images, and wished to warn you that you may wish to be careful with whom you associate." As he finished speaking, he pressed a button then swung the monitor on his desk around so she could see what was upon it.

I'm going to kill Tobias, she thought as she watched the images pop up onscreen of herself with the jedi master at Dexter's Diner. She looked at the chancellor with a raised eyebrow. "I see nothing alarming. Tobias was my mentor during the student exchange program at the temple six years ago. We became close friends."

"Surely you are not naïve enough to think these holos cannot harm your career if the wrong eyes see them. Elections on Corellia are coming up, are they not?" When Koria rolled her eyes, he shook his head. "Do not let your Corellian arrogance blind you to my warnings. Young Skywalker just brought me disturbing news about the Jedi Council. They are planning to overthrow me and take over."

Koria gasped, "No!" She shook her head in disbelief. "That's preposterous… the Jedi are the Republic's most trusted protectors."

Palpatine shook his head with a sad air. "I fear that there are those even among the Jedi who crave more power. I would be careful of your friend, Master McCal, if I were you. He may appear to be a gentle benefactor, but as Anakin so succinctly put it, things are not what they seem." As he spoke, he stood and walked around the desk to her. "I would hate to see you and your unborn child come to harm." He took her hands in his in a caring manner. "You have already lost so much, it'd pain me to see you endure more misfortune."

Koria pulled her hands away and placed one upon her stomach, her mind reeling from what the chancellor said. She swallowed before speaking. "I will be careful, Supreme Chancellor." She bowed her head once more. "Thank you for your warning."

Looking apologetic, Palpatine placed a hand on her upper arm and squeezed gently. "Perhaps I am wrong about your friend, Tobias."

A few minutes later, as Koria leaned against the back of the lift, a tear fell down her cheek. She quickly wiped it away as she reached her designated floor. Taking her portable comm out of her pocket, she called Tobias. After fifteen rings, she hung up. Tobias, where the kriffin' hell are you?

She went down a corridor, just missing seeing four jedi masters come in and rush to the lift with dire expressions on their faces.


	4. Dark Storm

Chapter 4: Dark Storm

**Chapter 4: Dark Storm**

As Koria walked down the hallway, she tried to calm herself. She knew what Chancellor Palpatine said about the Jedi was false. Yet his accusations made her tremble inside. She felt something bad was going to happen soon… something worse than this war. This war was just a surface symptom of something deeper, and she felt like she was being drawn out into a dark sea by a strong undertow.

Finally reaching the door to Tobias's office, she knocked. When there was no immediate answer, she pounded. "Tobias!"

The Jedi Master appeared as the door slid open, looking older than he normally did and very disconcerted. Tipping his head to the side questioningly, he said distractedly, "I was in the middle of meditating. Is this something that can wait?"

"I'm afraid not, Tobias," the young senator slid past the Jedi Master as she spoke. Once inside, she paced nervously, hugging her arms to herself as she tried to collect her thoughts so she could speak coherently.

Tobias leaned against the edge of his desk, watching Koria walk the length of his office for a moment before grabbing her arms and spinning her around to face him. "What is it, Koria? Has something happened?"

Koria spoke quickly without taking a breath between sentences. "Chancellor Palpatine summoned me to his office. When I went there, I saw Anakin leaving, and he said something strange, he warned me to be careful because nothing is as it seems. Then the chancellor had pictures of you and me at Dex's, and he said the Jedi Council was plotting to overthrow him and to be careful hanging out with you…" She breathed heavily to catch her breath, "… and he knows I'm pregnant."

"Anakin was acting strangely earlier when I saw him as well," Tobias said slowly, considering what all Koria was trying to tell him. "He seemed very upset." Then he realized what the Senator had just said. "Overthrow the Chancellor? Why in stars' end would we want to do that? Jedi aren't governors and statesmen to take over the Republic! What would we do with it?" Tobias broke off abruptly as another thought occurred to him. With the hunt for the Sith master raging, perhaps the Chancellor knew something and was becoming nervous? The only conceivable reason the Jedi Master could come up with that Council might overthrow Palpatine was if he was the Sith Lord himself.

That was absurd. It was far more likely the elderly man was in the hands of the Sith, a puppet whose strings were being pulled.

Shaking his head to set aside _that_ particular thought for the moment, he refocused on Koria, who was trembling beneath his hands. "I don't understand why you're worried about those pictures - or especially if he knows you're pregnant."

"I'm really not worried about the pictures… though you said that was taken care of. But… I… the man gives me the creeps, Tobias. Whenever he touches me, I get the chills. I don't understand why, but all my instincts scream at me to get my baby far away from _him_!" She shivered more as she spoke about the Supreme Chancellor.

"Tobias, he scares me," she whispered. "I don't know why, but he does."

Pulling her to him, Tobias smoothed her hair as she nestled her head on his shoulder. "I don't know why he scares you either, Koria," he said softly, feeling her arms tighten around him. "I certainly don't trust him -- he seems power-hungry -- but many, "and he chuckled lightly into her hair, "though not all, politicians are that way." He felt her still trembling in his arms and closed his eyes, redirecting his thoughts from how natural this felt. "I will do whatever I can to keep you safe from him if he ever tries to hurt you."

As her trembling subsided, she looked up at him as she pulled away. Blushing, she smiled shakily. "Why do I feel like that silly girl I was when we first... Tobias?"

Halfway through her question, Tobias' hold on her released, and he turned his face away, eyes focused beyond the wall on the opposite side of the room. Within the Force, he could feel the rising wave of energy - hatred and power being pulled towards some point nearby, and the counter-currents of Jedi within the wave. Tobias recognized those within the Force - Saesee Tiin, Kit Fisto, Agen Kolar, and Mace Windu. Around Mace eddied whispers of the Dark Side - he was fighting, using Vaapad to draw in power and reflect it through himself.

Then Saesee was gone.

The wave crashed around Tobias, and he staggered away from Koria to the small window overlooking the cityscape. Clutching at the windowsill until his knuckles turned white, the Jedi Master tried to steady himself within the Force, to find balance in the maelstrom now raging around him. Then Agen and Kit faded, their signatures absorbed in the lethal intent lurking within the Force. It swirled around Tobias, and he could feel it getting darker, as though he were being pulled into the depths of a cold, hostile ocean.

Koria watched him, wide-eyed. She shivered when coldness engulfed her as she sensed some of what her former mentor felt. "Tobias, what's happening?" she asked in a small, trembling voice.

"Mace..." Tobias said hoarsely, knowing as he turned back to Koria that he had gone pale. He could feel her fear, dwarfed by the greater pattern. Another wave was rising, power and pain and treachery all being gathered, and Tobias knew instinctually that this was it: either the wave would crash and destroy everything he knew - everything he dared not admit he loved - or it would be held back by something, someone stronger than he or any other Jedi who lived.

"I have to find them - have to help," Tobias said, knowing there was a touch of hysteria in his voice. He moved from the window across his office to the door. The Force would lead him there. It couldn't abandon him and - he felt the glimmer of the Chosen One, even as he had felt Anakin earlier that evening: light with darkness faded into the edges - and Mace.

"Tobias, wait!" Koria rushed to follow him, grabbing his elbow as he walked out the door. When she touched him, she saw a brief flash of a red lightsaber cutting through him. The shock of the vision made her dig her fingernails into his sleeve.

"Kor, I have to go. I have to help them," he said, even as his eyes trailed away, focused, if he could have seen through walls and floors, on the Supreme Chancellor's office. His words jumbled together, his normally precise speech overwrought as he added, "They must have found him, the one who trained Dooku..."

"No..." she moaned as a wave of nausea washed over the young senator and she turned away even as she fell to her knees and vomited. _No, not now_, she thought as she put her hands to her stomach, then she realized this was the perfect way to stop Tobias from rushing to his death. Trying not to think about how gross what she was about to do was, she fell into her own vomit as she curled up into a ball onto her side and moaned. She did not have to fake the fear she projected through the Force... she had plenty of that, as she feared not only for Tobias, but her baby.

Tobias sent one more longing glance up towards the ceiling as he knelt down next to Koria. "What's wrong?" he asked, his voice losing some of its edge as he began to check on the Senator. He was still distracted, but Koria could tell he was doing his best to deal with the problem at hand, even at the expense of ignoring the vast disturbance in the Force.

"My baby," she gasped as a tear escaped. She moaned as another wave of nausea violently came over her, and she expelled more of the contents of her stomach. _Damn it, I haven't even eaten that much_! She coughed and gagged as she tried to catch her breath.

Helping her back upright and supporting her, Tobias waited as Koria finally stopped retching, tears making tracks on her face from vomiting. She looked pale from the effort and was still clutching protectively at her stomach. "Come on, you can lie down in my office," the Jedi said, helping her to her feet. They crossed the few meters back into the other room slowly. Koria waited, leaning on the desk, as Tobias grabbed a waste can and his commlink. He settled on the floor then helped Koria to lie down on her side, the can in easy reach should she need it, with her head in his lap. He called the switchboard for the Senate, requesting medical help come to his office.

Though she felt weak and shaky, Koria felt a sense of triumph as she realized she succeeded in saving Tobias. She was careful to hide that, as well as her feeling of guilt for her deception. As she retched again, however, she began worrying in earnest for the health of her unborn child. This last set of vomiting however, was just water. She felt very woozy as she pressed her cheek to his lap. "Tobias," she whispered hoarsely, "don't let me lose him!" Tears fell down her cheek as she caressed her own cramping belly.

Something in Koria's last plea penetrated the fog that had descended over Tobias, making his connection to the Force seem more real than the reality around him. He slid out from under the Senator's cheek and balled up his outer robe, putting it under her head to support it. "I'm no healer," he said quietly, "but I'll do what I can." The Jedi knelt next to her and gently moved her hands away from her belly, giving them what he hoped was a reassuring squeeze. He placed his hands over her lower abdomen and closed his eyes, reaching out into the Force.

Immediately, he was overwhelmed by the energy centered around the Senate building. He struggled to find his center within it, buffeted around by the strong emotions surging through the Force - emotions he could connect to Mace and Anakin. _ No_, he firmly told himself. _Do or do not. You have this to do; trust the Force and simply __**do**__ it. _ He focused on the warmth radiating from Koria's abdomen, and using that feeling on the palms of his hands, he found her, enshrouded in fear, in the Force. Through her, Tobias found the small life she carried within her, still unaware of itself and its surroundings, cradled in warm, damp darkness. He could sense the contraction of its environment, pressing in on it, and also knew without understanding that soon she would bleed and with that, lose the child.

Exerting all of his training, Tobias made a small bubble of calmness and serenity around him and Koria, changing the ebb and flow of the Force. It was exhausting to maintain with what was going on beyond them, but Tobias ignored it. He quieted the contractions, feeling them subside into achiness, and the life within Koria, her child, began to still, and the emotion he could sense from it that was too primal, too unaware to be called fear, began to dissipate.

As Tobias's hands were still on her stomach, Koria felt relief from the nausea, and a peace came over her. She placed her hand on top of his and smiled tiredly. "Thank you."

An exhaustion she could not fight overwhelmed her, and she slowly closed her eyes, the bubble of serenity the Master had created allowed her to feel safe.

--

The Force was quiet, and it made Tobias uneasy.

Koria lay half-curled on the floor, her head still cradled by his robe. He could sense her deep, heavy sleep, so exhausted that she wasn't even dreaming. He too was tired, but after using the Force to influence her and finding that the storm that had been raging within it had blown itself out, Tobias found he was unable to rest.

He had called the switchboard again, only to be to be informed that the Senate building was on lockdown and there was no medical help on the way. The operator had declined to say why, just that there had been a breach in security. She had optimistically opined that the matter should be taken care of within the hour. Tobias glanced over at Koria; he didn't have enough medical training to know whether his influence was a permanent fix or just a temporary one. Feeling every one of his sixty-eight years, he knew he couldn't do that again, even if her and her baby's lives depended on it.

Looking out the window, Tobias watched as rain fell over the surface of Coruscant. The weather modulators must have failed. It was not an uncommon occurrence, but the Jedi Master couldn't help but feel that it had to do with what he had sensed in the Force. Thunder rumbled, and Tobias watched as lightening rippled across the sky, touching down somewhere beyond his line of sight. He could feel the foundation of the Senate building shudder beneath him. Another flash of lighting flared across the sky, much closer this time, and in the image seared across his vision, he saw a young man kneeling in front of another, both unrecognizable. Tobias turned away from the window, covering his eyes in pain, but the after-image remained. The thunder boomed in response, and the rain fell harder against the window.

As the image faded, he suddenly felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end and his body go cold.

Jedi were dying, killed in cold blood by those they trusted. Through the Force, he felt the same sequence of events over and over again - surprise, then a flash of fear, replaced by sad understanding before the nothingness that was the Force enveloped them.

He fell to his knees and wept.

Across the galaxy, the Jedi Order died.


End file.
